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Reverend Orsella R. Hughes of Serenity Ceremonies officiated her first wedding as a favor. Little did she know, an entire career officiating weddings was in store for her!
Orsella’s journey begins vested in Faith.
Growing up in Hamden, Connecticut, with her parents and siblings, Orsella has always had a strong connection with her Church and God.
As a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), and as a teenager and young adult in the Young People’s Division (YPD), Orsella was able to travel and meet people from around the world.
Those early leadership experiences molded her into the strong personality she embodies today and is the main reason why she speaks so confidently in front of large crowds.
I never meet strangers, and in everything I do, I attempt to lead with God’s love, and I know I received that from growing up in the church.
– Rev. Orsella R. Hughes (Serenity Ceremonies)
Fast forward to her adult years, Orsella accepted her call into Ministry and became ordained in 2005 in the AME church.
Only a week later, a friend’s brother reached out asking Orsella to officiate his wedding! She accepted but didn’t think much of it.
“I had no clue what I was doing,” Orsella reveals. “Except I knew my church had a liturgical book I could follow for wedding ceremonies. My first ceremony was not customized, I was extremely nervous, and l literally read word for word from the book. The only customization was their names!”
While Orsella admits her first foray into officiating weddings was embarrassing, she learned a lot. Her second experience in 2009 (for another friend’s wedding!) was just the start of her flourishing career.
More wedding requests followed, and soon the simple “favors” she was doing for family, friends, and fellow church members felt like something bigger than herself. She was inspired to create her own business and in 2016, Serenity Ceremonies by Reverend Orsella, LLC, was born!
I hung up the side hustle gig and stepped out on faith.
– Rev. Orsella R. Hughes
Today, Orsella has officiated over 200 couples’ weddings in Cape Town, South Africa, Mexico, Barbados, California, and all along the East Coast. In addition to offering officiant services, she has also added relationship coaching to her repertoire and even created her own “Orsella and Friends podcast”. In everything she delves into, faith remains the heart and guiding principles of her purpose.
Want to know more about Muna Coterie member, Rev. Orsella R. Hughes?
Keep reading below for our exclusive Behind The Brand interview with Orsella on everything from her relationship with faith to starting her own business and her advice for cultivating healthy, long-lasting marriages!
How does faith play a role in your life and your decision to become a Reverend?
Faith is my compass and always has been. Going back as early as a teenager, there was never a doubt in my mind that I was called to have a voice in the world. Yes, I have fears, as anyone does, but my faith reminds me that my fear comes from what I see and my faith comes from what God sees in me.
So even when I’m afraid, and I am faithful enough to recognize that I still have some fears, to me, people aren’t looking for perfect preachers. People want to feel connected with someone who understands life’s ups and downs, and I wanted to be that kind of Clergy person.
When did your interest in becoming a wedding officiant translate into a full-fledged company?
I thought the wedding in 2005 was only a favor. I didn’t officiate another wedding until 2009, and once again, as a favor to a friend.
This time, I grabbed my book of worship but learned how to incorporate unity ceremonies. The couple chose the unity candle ceremony, which I thought was so beautiful and special.
Then in 2010, the young adults I used to direct in the church choir and Lead Ministry groups with were getting engaged, and they wanted their “RevO” to marry them. Then, family and friends were getting engaged, and they asked me to officiate their weddings, and before I knew it, a business was started.
At that moment, I knew I had something special and it was bigger than me. In 2016, I decided to open Serenity ceremonies by Reverend Orsella, LLC.
What makes Serenity Ceremonies unique and what can couples expect when working with you?
I recently wrote a blog about ensuring your wedding officiant has the T.L.C. for you as a couple and for your ceremony. When couples work with me, they can expect my talent & time.
With 18 years of officiating experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge to all couples. My couples can expect that I have researched the laws in their towns to ensure I can legally solemnize their wedding.
I have learned to be available to my couples while honoring my self-care boundaries.
I set the timetable and expectations of my availability with my couples right at the beginning. Time is such a valuable element, so I don’t share their wedding day with another couple, and when I’m working with them, they have my full attention.
The second quality is listening.
With couples dealing with so many vendors and family and friends’ opinions, I promise to provide that space that will listen to their needs for their wedding day. I also listen intentionally so that when I’m putting their ceremony together, I can remember the small details of their love journey and find ways to include those moments in their ceremony.
The last characteristic is compassion.
Couples can expect me to lead with compassion and lead with love. I’m big on Grace, and I’m a champion of love. These are essential to giving compassion and will come out during my wedding ceremony. On top of a fully customized ceremony and me paying full attention to all details, the best and most unique offer I provide to my couples is unconditional love and compassion.
As a relationship coach, what are the top things you advise couples to practice for a healthy, long-lasting marriage?
If there is one word I repeat during my sessions with couples, it is “Breathe!”
Taking the moment to breathe before saying something you regret is the best thing you can do for your relationship. Breathing slows your anxiety and quiets your anger to have a productive and healthy conversation.
I also advise them always to keep the main thing, the main thing.
If you’re upset about something, don’t tell your partner a different version of why you’re mad. You’ll argue about something that will stop you from moving forward.
Count even the small wins as big wins.
Everyone wants to feel supported and loved, so never let a day go by without celebrating one another.
Keep dating!
Not all dates have to happen outside the house. During COVID when travel was restricted, I encouraged couples to recreate earlier dates at home and reflect on their growth as a couple since that date.
Not last and certainly not least, keep your faith in God first.
I’ve seen how prayer works in my own marriage, and I know it works. Don’t wait for an emergency to pray, but create a prayer rhythm in your marriage so that during good and bad times, your voices will always lead you to a power higher than your own.
Tell us about the “Orsella and Friends podcast”, and what you hope to accomplish through your interviews with other wedding industry professionals.
My podcast is back on the drawing board but will be re-airing again in the Fall. I plan to invite industry professionals, especially other wedding officiants who don’t mind discussing weddings like me.
My focus is to discuss the partnerships Officiants have with the rest of the vendor team and how officiants need to start using our platforms to shift the narrative from “Officiants just show up.” Once the reboot is ready, we will have some great conversations.
Why should other wedding industry professionals join the Muna Coterie?
The Coterie changed the trajectory of my business, and I haven’t looked back since.
I joined in 2018 after attending a Muna Serenade in New Jersey. As soon as I walked into the room and saw all the Black Wedding Professionals, I knew I was where I was supposed to be! My ambassador, Nana, answered all my nosey questions, and I ran off.
From the annual retreats, I’ve learned how to price, negotiate, and not settle for less than what I’m worth. If I wanted to be considered for luxury weddings, I had to be where the luxury vendors were; for me, it was in the Muna Coterie. And to make matters better, I’ve been the only wedding officiant at the retreat for the past two years, so I’ve really been soaking up the relationships!
Being a member of the Coterie has shown me that it’s not about leads but relationships. I can speak about being a Black Wedding Professional in this space better than in other spaces.
The Coterie is a community, and when you put the time into building relationships and real partnerships, you’ll see the return on your investment through this membership.
Share any exciting updates about Serenity Ceremonies and what we can look forward to.
I recently received the Black Business Leadership Award from the Black Business Alliance in Connecticut and was recently named among the “Who’s Who In Business Leaders” International Publication.
I will be re-launching my website in mid-August. It will be robust with wedding ceremonies, family highlights, marriage tips, wedding tips, philanthropy, videos, etc.
I also have plans to launch a wedding officiant master class for the fall, and that’s all I’ll share for now, lol.
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